Marketing Support Manager
Federal Foods
Total years of experience :26 years, 2 Months
Key Responsibilities:
Heading and managing a team of 12 members and reporting to the Executive Director.
Entrusted with the responsibility of corporate marketing budget and yearly marketing calendar.
Involved in the re-branding and positioning of the company by developing corporate video and TV ads through advertising companies. Making macro strategy at company/ brand & product level.
Responsible for making yearly business plans for the 20+ brands handled by the company in co-ordination with the principals.
Planning and implementing procedure for organic and inorganic growth at company level.
Ensuring profits and turnaround of the brands in the frozen category in terms of sales and profitability.
Key Achievements:
Successfully achieved sales growth by 50% and profitability improvement by 5% points for the frozen category brands.
Selected to participate as an associate sponsor in the Gulf Food 2010, the largest food exhibition in Asia.
Successfully launched new brand identity for Federal Foods.
Developed 2nd level of managers for the product management division and 2 private label brands for the company.
Job Responsibilities
- Overall responsibility for both volume and profitability targets for the entire UAE.
- Develop new business by way of new channels, line and product extensions.
- Enhancing distribution / visibility / profitability of the products through effective merchandising and channel management.
- Manage, strengthen and grow key accounts.
- Setting up A&P, visibility budgets and implementing / controlling them to help distributor meet the set targets.
- Conceptualize and implement trade and consumer promotions.
- Implement & operate effective reporting, budgetary controls, intelligence gathering and operational excellence.
- Developing motivation programs for the sales personnel.
- Co-ordinating with head-office, advertising and promotion agencies, logistic companies.
Significant Contributions
- Won the Best Frozen Brand of the Year Award from Retail Middle East magazine for 2005.
- Achieved sales growth of 35% with only 7% increase in marketing spends.
- Successfully launched a complete new product line - Seafood.
- Vegetable category business doubled in 12 months time.
- Implementation of BTL & ATL campaigns - Radio, TV and Light boxes in hypermarkets.
- Better channel management. Increased penetration of the products in down trade and groceries.
- Streamlining of marketing activities. Better usage of the marketing budget.
- Managing sales operations for EMI/ Nilwala/ Virgin Labels in region; with profit responsibility.
- Formulating & implementing sales plans and providing inputs on new product development.
- Developing channel partners including dealers & distributors for effective distribution & availability.
- Interfacing with clients and cultivating relations with them for securing repeat business.
- Controlling the market receivables to manage credit figures.
- Reviewing & analyzing the market/ competition trends to fine tune marketing strategies.
Significant Contributions
- Achieved sales growth of 50% and increase in profit margin by 10% points within 1st year of operations itself.
- Proposed & introduced new products, thereby achieving increased sales by 15%.
- Developed business through Virgin Megastore, Carrefour and Lulu Hypermarkets.
- Strengthened the dealer network in Qatar & Bahrain markets by appointing new channel partners.
- Exploring avenues for the marketing & business development of NRI Privilege Cards, Publication & event management.
- Formulating & implementing marketing/ promotional strategies and designing requisite material for same
- Managing the pre/ post marketing activities for product launches.
- Developing sponsors for the events & competitions and fostering relations with them.
- Relationship building with the media person for arranging press conferences.
Significant Contributions
- Developed about 150 alliances with leading restaurants, hotels & stores across UAE & AGCC countries.
- Bagged sponsors including Hotel Le Meridian, Howard Johnson Hotel & Subway for sponsorship of NRI of the Year Magazine.
- Increased Brand Awareness & Brand value of NRI World (the website) and developed online advertisers for the same. Developed clients like Gulf Medical College, Le Meridian, etc.
- Instrumental in successful execution of “NRI 2001” event, bagging international media coverage.
- Successfully launched the NRI Magazine 2001, conducted press conferences and got widespread coverage in the press.
- Identifying & exploring new markets for increasing the sales volume for internet based supply chain management products to corporate and web designing services to mid sized companies.
- Developing clients, understanding their requirements and suggesting products/ solutions accordingly.
- Demonstrating the product benefits through presentations, finalising & negotiating deals with them.
- Providing pre/ post technical sales support to the clients.
- Collating market information & feedback to facilitate decision making by the management.
Significant Contributions
- Developed corporate clients including Parke Davis, PSL Holdings, Global Housing, ABC Consultants & Lotus International, amongst others.
- Introduced new services of web designing (economy) for smaller firms. Involved in the groundwork for launching a portal for Chemical Industry.
- Recognised as the Best Executive in Dec’98.
